The City of Tshwane was lucky to have had the now-suspended Johann Mettler as city manager and Nelson Mandela Bay municipality would take him back any day to fight corruption, the former mayor says.

Yesterday, DA Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal met DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink at the Union Buildings to deliver a letter on large-scale corruption in the metro to the Office of the President.

Odendaal then visited the Office of the Minister of Police to deliver a letter demanding intervention in Nelson Mandela Bay’s out-of-control crime and gangsterism.

“I am here because President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a special investigation through the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) concerning a streetlight tender,” said Odendaal.

“The SIU gave their findings to the mayor and the current administration and recommended that they implement them within 90 days. They have not done so.”

Odendaal said the official who investigated within the forensic unit was now facing disciplinary action.

“We all know this happens in many municipalities: whistleblowers often suffer the consequences when those implicated in corruption try to sweep matters under the rug,” he added.

“The president issued that proclamation and I want to call on him to intervene and ensure that corruption does not continue in Nelson Mandela Bay.

“That was a R35 million contract – a drop in the ocean. Nelson Mandela Bay has around R30 billion in irregular expenditure recorded in its financial statements.” Odendaal said Tshwane was lucky to have had Mettler as a city manager.

“Here in Nelson Mandela Bay, Mettler was known as ‘Mr Fix It’. I still regard him as one of the best in his field and I still ask him for advice. The same happened to him in Nelson Mandela Bay, where he was falsely accused and given a million-rand handshake to leave,” he said.